Saturday, October 18, 2008

Youth or Truth? Winning the Hair Game


My hairdresser kinda hates that I've let my hair go salt 'n pepper. (Correction: Make that salt 'n peanuts, which more aptly describes the color of my rapidly fading dishwater blond hair.) At any rate, she doesn't like it. When I went to see her yesterday for a haircut, she lobbed an opening remark at me so casual in its tone of feigned indifference that I almost missed the content. (Okay, the look on her face was pretty telling, too...like she'd been sucking on a lemon.) Her "offhand" comment was something to the effect that it's been over a year now since we've covered the silvery stuff up with three or four subtly blended yet gloriously vibrant shades of energizing color. I volleyed right back at her with "Yeah. And it's not too bad, is it?" Sucking on an even tarter lemon this time, she threw down her racquet and let that conversational ball thunk right to the ground. I didn't pick it up, either. She's the pro, right? I think she may have rattled my confidence.

So here's the deal. As of today, these once lavish (now thinning) locks of mine are completely free of tints and dyes. All I have to do is decide if this is working for me. To that end, I will haul out the handy pros and cons list technique my mother taught me:

Pros:
  1. Don't have to sit in salon chair forever with gunk on head.
  2. Don't have to smell or pay for gunk.
  3. Don't have to make choices about which shade(s) of gunk to use.
  4. Don't have to make scene when hubby fails to notice effects of gunk.
  5. Hair is healthier sans gunk.
Cons:
  1. Am categorized as un-hip throwback by hairdresser.
  2. Am occasionally offered senior citizen discount by youthful checkers.
  3. Am trapped between "summer" and "spring" on color chart.
  4. Am jolted by light to moderate identity crisis when glancing in mirror.
  5. Am caught looking like my mother (only a con because she's better at it than I am).
I was going to add as a con that no one has complimented me on my hair lately, but then I remembered that two weeks ago one of my friends said she did like the color. Hmmm. Quandary: Was she being sincere or just trying to cheer my rapidly aging self up?

Looks like I've got some decisions to make. 
Comments, anyone?
(Don't know me? Then just vote your conscience.)   =)

Thought this little old poem of mine might fit here:

Growing Old Gracefully
c1997 by Susan Noyes Anderson

"You're growing old so gracefully,"
is what I'm often told.
Is that a compliment?
Should I be proud, or just consoled?

Do wrinkles glide across my face?
Can old bones creak with style?
Are aching joints more pleasing when
you bend them with a smile?

If silver hair distinguishes and
bifocals refine, then
I am truly elegant,
for both of these are mine.

I'm pleased that most observers find
my aging done with grace,
but I would gladly be more gauche
if that would slow the pace!

(For more poems like this, click here.)

5 comments:

Heather Anderson said...

I think dye free isn't so bad... and if you feel good about yourself and your husband likes it then who cares what your hairdresser thinks? GO GREEN, or in this case gray...

Heidi A. said...

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If there is a slow issue it is with the blogspot site. We resubmitted your blog name and hope that it fixed the problem.

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Wes and Donna's Big Adventure said...

I am a 46 year old, no wait 47, I can't keep up anymore,mother of three daughters, four grandchildren, and a redhead. My color has been fading out gradually and I have started getting highlight to "perk" the color up. I am having the same conversation with myself. To color or go "natural". I must say I just feel better when I get a little color help. The problem is, how long can I really keep this up. My grandmother, who was also a redhead, is now totally white and it is beautiful. I am not sure I am ready to let go of some good red color yet. In your pic you look great. I say go with what makes YOU feel good

Em said...

i have been trying to decide if i want to go back to my natural color. i don't know why it's SO terrify!? your cons list pretty much hit it on the head for me though:-) it's been four months since i've colored the hair and big surprise!...i am still me inside:-) thanks for your encouragement!!!

Kristin said...

My mom is doing the same thing right now, too. (You guys are so similar sometimes it's crazy!) And I'll tell you what I told her. Go for it~